Rebecca Wittman cofounded The Teak Twins custom yacht refinishers in 1978 and has taught classes at Seattle's Center for Wooden Boats.

Preface: How to use this book Part One: An Introduction Chapter 1. The Heart of It: Making a commitment Chapter 2. Sad and Sorry Brightwork: A cautionary note for new boatowners Chapter 3. Choosing Finishes: Understanding your woods and how to dress them Chapter 4. About Varnish: The history of varnish, and how it is made Part Two: The Refinishing Program Chapter 5. The Yacht Refinishing Commandments: A basic set of precepts for the dedicated refinisher Chapter 6. Organizing Your Brightwork Thoughts: Planning the work, reading the weather, shopping for what you'll need, and preparing the boat Chapter 7. Stripping Old Finishes: Bleaching off oil finishes, and using heat guns, chemical strippers, scraping, and sanding to remove old varnish Chapter 8. Intermediate Prep Work: Sanding stripped wood, bleaching out stains, cleaning the surfaces Chapter 9. The Varnishing Prelude: Pastewood fillers, stains, and sealers Chapter 10. Oiling: As an exterior or interior finish, and as a method of sealing wood before varnishing Chapter 11. Varnishing: Instructions for interior and exterior varnishing, varnishing failures and their causes Chapter 12. Maintaining and Repairing Varnish: Protecting your beautiful finish, setting up a maintenance schedule, the varnish first-aid kit, determining when to refresh and when to strip again Chapter 13. Two Special Brightwork Projects: Spars and cabin soles Chapter 14. Rescuing Teak Decks: How to bring them back to life Chapter 15. Dockside Refinishing Etiquette: Rules for getting along on the dock Part Three: Tools and Materials Chapter 16. Tools: What works best for the job Chapter 17. Materials: Stocking up on what you'll need, with recommendations for the best products Appendix I. Safety for the Refinisher: How to ensure your own safety, and that of the environment Appendix II. The Brightwork Refinisher's Dictionary: From "abrasive" to "Ziploc" Conclusion: A Brightwork Junkie's Philosophy Bibliography Index Photo Credits